Electric lamp socket



Jan. 17, 1950 G. WAGSTAFF ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Filed June 12, 1946 Patented Jan. 17, 1950 meme LAMP sooner GeorgeWagstaifE, Long-Eaton, England, assignor to United-(Barr Eastener Corporation, Game bridge, Mass...

Application JunellZ, 1946, Serial No. 67.6184 InGreat Britain June 19, 1945 3 Claims. (01. 173-339.)

This invention relates to electric lamp sockets of the kind adapted to be detachably secured to an apertured panel or the like by snap means carried by the socketitself.

An example of such a socket is described and illustrated in the specification of British- Letters Patent No. 444,941; The-object of the-invention isyto provide an improved form of socket-of the above kind. g

According to the invention; in a socket of the kind comprising a tubular body portion having yieldable snap fastener projections or prongs at one end for securing the socket in an aperture in a support, the prongs or the like are formed on a ring member secured in the mouth of the socket, there being provided a separate lamp retaining ring or plate mounted in the socket and spaced inwardly of the prong-carrying ring.

The lamp-retaining ring may be adapted to make a bayonet joint, or screw-threaded engagement with the base of an inserted lamp. Means, which may be integral with the lamp retaining ring, are preferably provided for maintaining the usual contact-carrying insulating block in spaced relation to the lamp-carrying ring.

To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a central section of a lamp socket embodying one form of the invention,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the socket shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a central section of a modification of the invention, and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the modified socket shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the socket comprises a tubular body I having a ring 2 provided with resilient snap fastener projections or prongs 3. The ring 2 is secured at the mouth of the socket by turning over the end of the body I to clamp the ring against a shoulder 4.

Spaced inwardly of the ring 2 the body I is formed with a shoulder 5 which supports a lamp retaining ring 6, the ring 6 being held in position by inward embossments 1 punched out of the tubular wall of the body. The ring 5 is provided with integral depending portions 8 which extend inwardly of the socket to engage a block 9 of insulating material which carries a lead t and contact H. The block is urged towards the ring 6 by a spring 12 and is maintained in spaced relation thereto by the depending portions 8.

The ring 6 has diametrically opposed slots 2 i3 to provide abayonet joint connection with radial pins-on the baseoi a lamp cap and=locking detents l4- to-receive the pins when the lamp base is insertedandmotated relative to the ring 43. According to-the modification shown inFigs. 3

-and=d the-lamp-retaining ring is designedto engage=a lamp-base of the miniature Edison'screw type, and for this purpose the aperture of'the ring i5 corresponds to the thread diameterof a lo lamp base to be inserted and-its edge l6is inclined to the pitch of the thread and is formed with a lead l1. The block 9 in the modified socket is located in spaced relation by inward embossments l8 punched out of the tubular wall of the body I.

By the use of a separate lamp retaining ring or plate within the socket, spaced apart from the ring carrying the sna fastener means, the lamp can be inserted more deeply into the socket than in the known type of holder referred to above.

I claim:

1. A lamp socket for mounting in an aperture on a support comprising a tubular socket body having a mouth and terminal end, an inwardly extending annular flange at said terminal end, an outwardly extending annular flange at said mouth, an inwardly extending annular shoulder intermediate said mouth and terminal end adjacent to but spaced from said mouth, a ring member secured to said outwardly extending annular flange and having a plurality of resilient prongs adapted for snap fastener engagement with the aperture in the support, said ring member and prongs permitting free movement of a lamp base therethrough, a lamp-retaining ring member secured to said shoulder within said socket body inwardly of said first mentioned ring member, an insulating contact-carrying block slidably mounted within said socket body between the inwardly extending annular flange at said terminal end and said lamp-retaining ring member, spring means tending to urge said block toward said lamp-retaining ring member, and stop means for maintaining said block in spaced relation to said lamp-retaining ring member.

2. A lamp socket for mounting in an aperture on a support comprising a tubular socket body having a mouth and terminal end, an inwardly extending annular flange at said terminal end, an outwardly extending annular flange at said mouth, an inwardly extending annular shoulder intermediate said mouth and terminal end adjacent to but spaced from said mouth, a ring member secured to said outwardly extending annular flange and having a plurality of resilient ber and prongs permitting free movement of a lamp base therethrough, a lamp-retaining ring member secured to said shoulder within said wardly extending annular flange at said terminal end and said lamp-retaining ring member, spring means tending to urge said block toward said lamp-retaining ring member, and stop with the aperture in the support, said ring memher and prongs permitting free movement of a lamp base therethrough, a lamp-retaining ring member secured to said shoulder within said socket body inwardly of said first mentioned ring member, said lamp-retaining ring member having a split inclined inner edge adapted to permit a GEORGE W AGSTAFF. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,111,713 Watson Mar. 22, 1938 2,127,133 Moxley Aug. 16, 1938 2,296,717 Kridler 1 Sept. 22, 1942 2,297,616 Funk Sept. 29, 1942 

